Empty the Bench

Beno Udrih got a new lease on his NBA life last season with the Sacramento Kings, and now he has his first big NBA contract to go with it.

The Sacramento Bee reports the 6-3 point guard, who’ll turn 26 years old on Saturday, has signed a five-year deal to stay in Sacramento that will pay him approximately $30 million in all. Udrih joined the Kings relatively early last season after a three-year stint on the bench with the San Antonio Spurs by way of the Minnesota Timberwolves (more on that in a second). With incumbent starter Mike Bibby sitting it out with a broken hand, Udrih stepped right into the starting lineup and played surprisingly well for a player few had put any stock into.

Bibby was eventually dealt to the Atlanta Hawks, and Udrih will now be the main man running the show. In 65 games with the Kings, Udrih averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 boards, 46% FG, and 2.3 turnovers in 32 minutes.

Beno Udrih Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Those aren’t exactly standout stats, but Udrih is a smart player who plays within himself and should improve next year with a full season now under his belt playing extensive minutes in the NBA; over his first three campaigns he averaged just 12 minutes/per and was hardly asked to shoulder any kind of load while he was out there.

With Bibby gone, Ron-Ron regretting not opting out of his contract and likely on his way out via trade, and three new draft picks joining the fold (headlined by 12th overall pick Jason Thompson), the Kings are well on their way towards weeding out the bad seeds and retooling their approach. I personally love their direction and was pleasantly surprised by the results first-year head coach Reggie Theus got from his underachieving crew last season.

It shouldn’t go without mention as to how, exactly, Udrih landed with the Kings in the first place. Yes, he signed as an unrestricted free agent, but that happened courtesy of one of the most bone-headed, under-the-radar roster moves of the 2007-08 season… and surprise surprise it was made by our good friend Kevin McHale. Approximately, oh, 5 minutes after sending a second-round pick to the Spurs in exchange for Udrih, McHale waived him. Waived him. Udrih. A guy now the starting PG for the Kings. With Bassy Telfair in the mix there apparently just wasn’t enough room for Udrih in the Minnesota backcourt. Nevermind that the Wolves are S.O.L. at the moment as far as a backup PG behind Randy Foye…

For some reason this move never really got much press, but we’re here to remind you, boys and girls, that it in fact did happen and that McHale is in fact one of the densest GMs in all of professional basketball. And with that, I congratulate you, Beno Udrih, and wish you a prosperous stay in Sacramento.

Related: Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings, Kevin McHale, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Ron Artest, Mike Bibby